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SB 953

Civil rights: other; standards for public bodies collecting and reporting data related to race and ethnicity; establish. Creates new act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Darrin Camilleri

Creates a uniform, single combined race/ethnicity question with detailed subcategories for public bodies to collect and publicly report race/ethnicity data, updated periodically.

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Bill Summary · SB 953

Overview

Senate Bill 953 (2025-2026) from Michigan would create the Michigan Data Collection Act, establishing standardized criteria for how public bodies collect and report race and ethnicity data. The bill defines terms, sets formatting requirements for data collection writings, phones in a phased timeline for adoption, and requires an action plan and periodic updates tied to federal census data.

Main purpose and intent

  • To require public bodies to use a uniform, single combined race and ethnicity question when collecting race/ethnicity data.
  • To impose a structured set of minimum categories and state-specific subcategories for reporting workforce and hiring data.
  • To increase transparency around data collection practices via action plans and public posting.
  • To periodically update the category subcategories to reflect the most populous groups as determined by federal census data.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions:
    • Establishes standard racial/ethnic categories, including White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, Middle Eastern or North African, and a general “White” category, each with specified subcategories.
    • Broadly defines “public body” to include executive offices, the Legislature, local governmental entities, school districts, state public universities, and other entities funded or created by state/local authority that perform governmental or proprietary functions.
    • “Writing” adopts the definition used in Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act.
  • Data collection criteria (Sec. 5(1)):
    • If a public body lists racial/ethnic categories in a writing and asks individuals to designate race/ethnicity, the writing must, within 3 years of enactment, meet:
    • A single combined race/ethnicity question for data collection.
    • A minimum set of categories with subcategories and a write-in option for adding subcategories for each minimum category (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino, Middle Eastern or North African).
    • Subcategories include specific nationalities or groups (e.g., White with subcategories like English, German, Irish, etc.; Black or African American with Nigerian, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Somali, etc.; and similar for other categories).
    • A required instruction line: “Select all that apply and enter additional details in the spaces below. Note, you may report more than one group.”
  • Transition and implementation:
    • Public bodies developing/printing such writings for reporting or workforce/hiring data are not required to use the detailed categories until 3 years after the act’s effective date.
    • Within 18 months after the act’s effective date, each public body must create and post an action plan on race and ethnicity data (or place it conspicuously at a principal public office). The plan must describe actions to comply and identify potential risks associated with collecting race/ethnicity data.
  • Data confidentiality:
    • Race and ethnicity data collected under the act are exempt from disclosure under Michigan’s FOIA (MCL 15.243(1)(d)).
  • Updates tied to census data:
    • Not later than four years after federal decennial census data are publicly available, public bodies must update their writings so each minimum category’s subcategories reflect the six most populous subcategories in Michigan. This update would begin January 1, 2032, and would apply thereafter.

Who is affected

  • State and local public bodies covered by the act, including:
    • Executive offices, state agencies, departments, boards, commissions, councils, authorities.
    • Legislative branches and related agencies/councils.
    • Counties, cities, townships, villages, regional or intergovernmental bodies.
    • School districts, special districts, municipal corporations.
    • State public universities.
    • Other entities created by or primarily funded by state/local authority that perform governmental or proprietary functions.
  • Public employees and contractors involved in data collection and reporting related to race/ethnicity data.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: The act’s specific effective date is not stated in the excerpt, but provisions outline timelines starting from the act’s effective date.
  • 3-year implementation window: Writing must meet single combined race/ethnicity data collection criteria within 3 years.
  • 18-month action plan: Public bodies must publish an action plan on race/ethnicity data within 18 months.
  • Census-based updates: By 2032 (four years after federal decennial census data are publicly available), update the subcategories to reflect the six most populous groups in Michigan, per census data.
  • FOIA exemption: Data collected under the act are exempt from public disclosure under FOIA, protecting certain collected information from public release.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Standardization: Creates uniform data collection practices across many public bodies, potentially improving comparability of race/ethnicity data in workforce/hiring contexts.
  • Granularity: Requires detailed subcategories, including many specific national/ethnic groupings; may increase the burden of data collection and categorization.
  • Privacy and transparency: Maintains data confidentiality via FOIA exemption yet mandates public-facing action plans, balancing transparency with privacy.
  • Dynamic updates: Aligns with census data, ensuring categories remain current with demographic changes over time.

If you’d like, I can compare these provisions to current Michigan FOIA rules or provide a side-by-side with typical national data collection standards.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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